One By One
by Fallen.Debutante
Summary: A multi-chap fic about the glee members discovering Will and Rachel's secret relationship with lots of Will/Rachel fluff, and possible smut on the side C: 7th CHAPTER FINALLY UP :P
1. Intro

Will Schuester stared at the woman in his bed as she slept, unable to believe just how long they'd been together. He held a tray of homemade blueberry pancakes and orange juice in his hands, eager to wake her up, yet reluctant to do so. He watched as the sun danced on her face and her hair, which was sprawled across his pillow in tangled curls. He had always thought she was breathtaking. But even now, without makeup, he couldn't believe how lucky he was. He smiled as his mind flooded with memories; the day they met, their first date, their first _time. _

Her eyes opened.

"Hey," she said as she rubbed her eyes, with an embarrassed smile.

"Morning, Rach."

xxx

_"I think we should tell the club about us." Rachel had been sitting on piano bench in the choir room when she nearly gave Will a heart attack.___

_"Rachel, are you crazy?"___

_"I resent that accusation." ___

_Will sat beside her with the intention hopefully talking some sense into her, but instead cupped her face and brought her lips to his. ___

_"Why,"__ h_e asked between kisses_, "Are. You. So. Damn. Irresistible?"_ __

_Her lips smiled against his_._ "Does that mean we're going to tell them?"_

_"No, of course not. Think about this."___

_"I have," she pouted. ___

_"I could get arrested."___

_"They won't tell anyone. They don't want to lose you."___

_"Rach, letting eleven other people in on our 'little' secret will ensure that it gets out. Someone will tell someone who will tell someone, you know how it works."___

_"But.."___

_"Why do you want to tell them?" He interrupted.___

_"I'm just sick of sneaking around. I want to show you off."___

_"Believe me, Rachel. If you weren't seventeen years old, I would want to show you off, too." He smiled to himself at the comment. ___

_"But you don't know what it's like when the people around you think you're unbearable." She paused, pushing back bad memories. "That, and because I don't like lying to Finn. He keeps asking me why I'm so distant. And just because I don't like him like that anymore, doesn't mean I want to lose him as a friend."___

_"Have you told him, you know, how you feel?" ___

_"Yes. He doesn't believe me. I don't blame him. Our entire relationship has been so messed up and full of complete bullshit," she said, emphasizing the word 'bullshit', "We never really know what the other wants."___

_"When did you start swearing?" ___

_"I told myself I'd only use words I've heard you say. And only when it is necessary." He laughed at her logic (or lack thereof) and kissed her again.___

_"I am so in love with you," he said as she rested her head on his shoulder. "What other words have you heard me say?" ___

_"Just crap. Oh, and jackass." ___

_"Who did I call a jackass?"___

_"Noah. When I told you about how he hit on me at Mercedes' party a couple weeks ago." He shuddered at the memory and she kissed his cheek to remind him that she was his. ___

_"Note to self: stop swearing before Rachel becomes a potty-mouth." She giggled and rested her head on his shoulder once more, humming the music that sat on the piano in front of them. ___

xxx

Rachel remembered this conversation all the time. Often, it came to mind when she longed to tell someone how in love she was with her Spanish teacher. But it was always there, full force, during the times when Finn Hudson would corner her in the hallway, reminding her that honesty was absolutely not an option. Well, in her mind, it was. But she understood Will's skepticism and respected it.

Finn demanded an explanation from her at least once a week. Sometimes he was angry, sometimes sweet. But this time, he was desperate. She was just happy school was over and there wouldn't be a scene.

"Rachel, I know you like me."

"_Liked _you," she corrected.

"You can't just forget everything we've ever had."

"What have we had, Finn? A kiss in the auditorium and a relationship that lasted like, a day? When you told me you didn't want to be with me I moved on because it was the only option. I couldn't just sit around and wait for you, that's not me."

"Is there someone else?" He asked, just inches away from her face.

"Finn-"

"Who is it? I heard that Jesse kid has shown some interest in you."

"And jeopardize our chances? Yeah, right."

"Then who is it? Please, I just want to know." 

"No one, Finn. There's no one."

"Then I guess I can do this..." he said with a smirk, closing the gap between them with a sloppy kiss.

"Finn, stop!" She yelped, trying to push him away.

"I just want to, ya know, remind you. Just try," he pleaded kissing her again. Rachel struggled to push him away, oblivious to the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching them. Everything after that happened so fast; Finn was yanked away from her and then suddenly, he was on the ground in a ball, holding his face as though someone had just-

"Mr. Schuester?" He asked, looking up at his attacker. "What the hell?"

XXX

Reviews pretty please? :) They really motivate me to get the next chapter up ASAP & make me smile :) I should probably warn you also that I rated this M for a reason, it will probably get more.. mature in upcoming chapters. And don't hate me for _slightly_ bashing Finn, I love that big, awkward, adorable lummox. :)


	2. Finn

**From Chapter 1:**

"Mr. Schuester?" He asked, looking up at his attacker. "What the hell?"

**Note from the Author:**

**I just want to thank everyone who reviewed, I love you all! I will probably be updating every day seeing as I am addicted to your feedback (it actually makes me so happy, I have a problem :P) so check often! Oh, and you are all smart people so I am positive you figured this out, but just in case, the block sections in italics are memories. Hope you enjoy chapter 2!****  
**  
xxx**  
**  
_"Will," she said as she entered his office. ___

_"Rachel, sweetheart what is it?" She was clearly about to cry.___

_"I don't think we can do this anymore." She stated plainly, avoiding eye contact. He closed the door behind her and sat beside her on the desk, ready to listen. "Finn came up to me again today. He's ready to be with me." ___

_"If that's what you want." Those words had been so painful to say. In his mind, it was like proof that he loved her more. Not that it mattered. He couldn't picture anyone feeling more strongly than he did about Rachel. ___

_"It's not what I want." She said.___

_"Then I don't understand..." ___

_"You and me, we're never going to last. At least with Finn I will have a chance. At a relationship that won't end in total heartbreak. Or with someone getting fired. Or worse." ___

_"I would never do anything to hurt you," he assured her. "Rachel, I love you."___

_The tears broke through, finally, as he'd just made her decision much more difficult. ___

_"I have been waiting for Finn for so long. How can I just walk away from this?" _

_"Whatever you choose, I'll be happy for you," he lied. Deep down, Rachel knew she wanted Will to fight for her. But maybe the fact that he didn't was a sign. Finn would be better for her. More normal. ___

_"I'll miss you," she said, hugging him goodbye. And she walked out of his office. ___

_She tried to stop herself from crying as she slowly approached the front doors. ___

_"Rachel, wait!" He yelled after her. She turned around to see Will, standing in the doorway of his office and tears stinging his eyes. That was all it took. She sprinted down the hall and into his arms, her legs around his waist, whispering "I love you, too" and planting kisses across his face. _

xxx

Rachel and Will exchanged a worried glance, which went unnoticed by Finn as he tried and failed to tend to his aching jaw.

"Finn, I'm so sorry, I-"

"He didn't know it was you!" Rachel exclaimed, nervously. She bit her lip as she could practically read Will's mind: _The jig is up. We're screwed. _She knew she should have felt the same way; the number one rule in the situation of a student-teacher relationship was to _never _get caught. But she interpreted what she had with Will as more than just an affair. Unfortunately, the fact that they hadn't told anyone made it feel less like love and more like shameless sex. She wanted desperately to tell Finn the truth, but was afraid of the consequences.

Finn glanced at Rachel, then at Will, as he got up from the floor. "Yeah but, did you have to, like, punch me?"

"Yes, _Mr. Schuester_," Rachel asked sarcastically, "Did you really have to punch him?" The look on Will's face indicated that he was worried, but his fists were still clenched from what had just occurred. He and Rachel maintained eye contact as his expression silently asked her what they would do next. They stared at each other intently for longer than either had planned.

"What the hell is going on here?" Finn asked as he observed the exchange.

"Nothing," Will assured him as indifferently as possible while trying to think of an excuse, but couldn't help but allow his eyes dart longingly back to Rachel.

"Oh my God." Finn said. When neither of them responded, he continued, "Mr. Schue? And _you_? Together?" He turned to Rachel. "He's the other guy? Holy shit!"

"Mouth, Finn," Will warned out of habit.

"You're worried about my language when you've been breaking, like, the _biggest rule ever_? This is too weird," he said, awkwardly scratching his head.

Rachel was still speechless and Will decided that he'd have to do most of the talking.

"Wait...have you guys, like... _done it?_" Finn asked.

This was enough to break Rachel out of her silence. "Finn Hudson, that is none of your business! Why would you even ask that?"

"Rachel," Will warned, before she was able to go off on a rampage. "Let's get down to business. Finn, no one can find out about this. Okay?"

"Okay." He said. Will sighed out of relief. "Under one condition," Finn continued.

"Let's hear it," Will said, unsure whether he really wanted to.

"Have you guys _done it_?" he asked.

Rachel let out an "ugh" followed by: "You're disgusting. You are starting to sound more and more like Noah every day."

Finn ignored Rachel and interpreted Mr. Schuester's silence as a 'yes'. "Ew," he said to no one in particular.

"Oh, _real_ mature, Finn! You know, if-"

"Rachel," Will interrupted. "Don't make things worse."

Finn laughed awkwardly at the surreal couple before him. "Well, it looks like I can't compete."

"Certainly not," Rachel stated angrily.

"Jeez, Rach. You don't have to be so mean about it."

"You don't have to be so immature."

"Okay, you're right. Truce?" He suggested, holding out his hand. She reached to shake it when he jerked it backwards. "Right after you guys kiss."

"Finn, don't push it!" Will warned.

"Fine," he surrendered and shook her hand. "Sorry for kissing your girl, Mr. Schue."

"Well, I guess I'm sorry for punching you. Call it even?"

"Yeah, sure. But I don't think I can look at you as a dad anymore. Cuz that would make Rachel my mom and that's kinda gross."

Rachel punched his arm playfully, glad to have him back.

"So... are you guys, like, leaving together?" He asked Will.

"No, that would be a little conspicuous, don't you think?"

"So, can I walk Rachel home?"

"Yes, you may," she answered for herself. Before they left, Rachel ran up to Will and onto her tiptoes. Finn tried not to make it obvious that he was watching as she whispered in his ear, "_I'll see you at seven,_" and kissed him on the cheek. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he wondered what questions Finn would be asking her on the way home.

xxx

"I'm really glad we got that out in the open," Rachel said as they walked out the doors of William McKinley together.

"Yeah, um... me too," Finn replied. "I mean, it sucks. For me. But I'll move on."

"I wanted to tell you. I even asked him if I could. But I'm sure you understand-"

"Yeah, I get it. I just... still can't believe it. How did this even happen?"

"I don't know. It was an accumulation of small things during the year, even during the summer. Of course, I remember the important moments clearly. Like our first date, if you can even call it that. The first time he told me he loved me," she smiled at the memory.

"You guys are in love?" He asked, apparently shocked.

"Yeah," she blushed.

"Wow, Rach. That's awesome. Really. I'm happy for you. It's super weird. But I'm happy for you."

Rachel laughed happily. Her whole world had been turned upside down. She didn't mind when the cheerleaders called her 'man-hands'. She embraced slushie facials. She didn't even argue when Tina got solos she wanted. All because she knew that while they were all off getting pregnant or wasted or throwing their lives away, not only was she going to be a Broadway star; no, she would get to see Will later, and everything would be okay. _Better _than okay. Perfect.

"We can still hang out sometimes, right?" He asked as they approached her house.

"Yeah, of course."

"Actually, Rach, before you go there's something I want to tell you. And I can't really think of a better time to do it than now, while you're still, you know. Glowing." She felt the blood rush to her cheeks once again, but urged him to go on when she saw the serious look on his face.

"It was during that whole period of time after we broke up last year, and even after I'd apologized and you forgave me, you still wouldn't, you know, date me. Again. Did you and Mr. Schue, like..."

"Yes, that's when things first started between us."

"Well I don't know what I was thinking. Maybe I was trying to make you jealous or something. But I slept with Santana." When Rachel was silent, he continued, "You know, had sex..."

"Yes, I understand."

"And then when I saw you at school the next day I just couldn't bring myself to tell you. I don't know what I was thinking."

"It's okay Finn. We weren't together, so I don't see any reason why it should bother me."

"Are you sure?" He asked, eying her suspiciously.

"Of course!" She said, a little too cheerfully. "Thank you, for walking me home. And for being so understanding." She hugged him goodbye and ran inside, unsure why her heart was beating so fast.

xxx

Will buzzed Rachel up at 7:06.

"What's for dinner?" She asked as he took her coat.

"Salad, and burgers. A veggie burger for my little vegan," he said placing a quick kiss on her lips. He was about to head back to the kitchen when she took his face in her hands and pulled him in for a longer one. The two were separated only when he escaped her grasp long enough to ask if she liked her food burnt. She reluctantly let him go and sat down as he saved the food and placed it on the table.

"So, this afternoon could have gone a lot worse," he said as he joined her. _Of course he'd want to talk about this.  
_  
"I am not going to lie, I am happy we finally told...him," she said, practically talking into her plate.

"I knew you would be," he responded, noticing the expression on her face. "I am too."  
"Really?" She asked, looking up.

"Makes it feel more-"

"Real," she cut in.

"Exactly. What did you two talk about on the way home?" Rachel's mind immediately wandered back to how her conversation with Finn had ended. She scolded herself for letting his confession bother her. She was in love with Will. Why should it matter? Even as she prepared for their date tonight, images of Finn and Santana together had crossed her mind more than a few times.

"Rachel?"

"Can we talk about something else?" She asked. She knew it would come up again, but she didn't yet know what she would tell him when he asked.

"Yeah, of course."

The rest of dinner was filled with casual conversation, though both parties noticed that Rachel wasn't nearly as engaged as usual. It wasn't until they were on his couch together watching "Singin' in the Rain" – she'd been holding on to him tightly during the first half of the movie, almost as though she was afraid she was going to lose him – and she refused to sing along that he turned down the volume and finally asked her what was wrong.

She sighed and avoided eye contact as she spoke. "On the walk home today Finn told me something that shouldn't bother me, but it does. And the thing is, the thing that's been bugging me all evening isn't even the thing he said, it just really worries me that what he said is bothering me so much!"

"Rachel, you're babbling," he laughed as he stroked her hair.

"Finn had sex with Santana." His hands went still as he took in what she'd just said.

"And you wish you'd been his first?"

"No!" She exclaimed, sitting up to face him. "That's the thing, I don't. I have no feelings for Finn anymore. I just, I don't know why I am so fazed by this one little piece of information!"

"Rachel, it's okay to worry about him as a friend. That isn't something to be ashamed of."

"As a friend?" she asked.

"Maybe you're just sad for him because of _who_ he slept with. Sex with Santana can't be very meaningful," he said, recalling all the McKinley gossip Rachel had filled him in on. "Maybe you just wanted him to do...better."

She smiled as his idea clicked in her head. Sure, there had been something between them once. But she wanted Finn to be happy.

"I thought, maybe, it meant something more..." she stuttered. He kissed her passionately and without warning, grabbed the backs of her knees and yanked her onto her back. Rachel let a loud giggle escape her lips, (not having to stay quiet like the time he'd climbed through her bedroom window while her dads were in the next room).

"And if that didn't make you forget about _Finn," _he said, "this certainly will."

He rolled her panties off under her dress, kissing the inside of her thighs as he did so, and Rachel braced herself for what she knew would call for something much louder than a giggle. 

xxx

Comments? Suggestions? It's all good :) Now let's see if I can actually figure out how to add a second chapter...


	3. Puck

**Note from the Author:**

**I am so sorry it took me longer than I said it would to upload this chapter. Not only did I make last-minute plans to hang out with my friends the last 3 days in a row, but even after I finished I was really unhappy with it and felt the need to keep editing and editing... Anyways, it's here now, and I will try to have the next one up tomorrow or Wednesday! Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, every single review has made me smile =)**

xxx

Finn still sat beside Rachel during meetings and in class, but what used to be awkward attempts at conversation and hints towards his romantic interest soon became questions about her relationship with Will.

"So... isn't it weird pretending like he's just another teacher?" Rachel looked around to see if anyone had heard Finn's question; Kurt and Mercedes were across the room, which she was thankful for as they gossiped incessantly. The only person close enough to possibly hear was Puck, but he was asleep on Quinn's shoulder. Otherwise, all eyes were still planted firmly on Mr. Schuester.

"I am perfectly capable of keeping our relationship professional at school, Finn" she replied, more quietly than he had asked.

She knew this to be a partial lie. At first it was quick glances during class, attempts to distinguish what was on the other's mind. He didn't need to remind her to continue to act the way she usually did; she was still _Rachel Berry,_ after all. But there were subtle differences, little games they played, meant only for each other. She would cross her legs and flash a little thigh, silently hoping he'd lose his train of thought. He would write on the board, wondering if she was staring at his ass, (maybe triggering some memories of the night before in his bedroom, or the very same day against the wall in his office).

They knew how to control themselves. They just didn't want to.

It wasn't until the annual 'Welcome Back Assembly' during the second week back that they decided to be more careful.

xxx

_"Welcome, students, to the 2010-2011 school year!"_ _Principal Figgins' voice rang through the auditorium and was met by a halfhearted round of applause. ___

_"We are all here today to discuss new school rules and regulations. Firstly, I must address these "wars of slush" you have going on. They have been going on for too long and will no longer be acceptable!_" _The teachers just shook their heads as the senior boys at the back burst out into laughter. He said the same thing every year, and it never made a difference. _

_"Silence! Secondly, a more serious matter has arisen. One of a very inappropriate nature. You may have heard that a teacher from Lima Central Catholic has been fired and taken into custody after being caught in a," he cleared his throat, nervously, "... a sexual act with a student." As anticipated, the volume level in the room increased immensely; Rachel felt the blood rush to her cheeks as a boy behind her cried "Ooh, Mr. Schue!" which was met by the laughter of his peers. Others simply muttered things along the lines of "Ew," or "How could you be so stupid," and some repeated "sexual act" in Figgins' accent while the teachers tried desperately to shut them up.___

_The principal cleared his throat into the microphone before continuing. "However, we here at William McKinley have a professional staff who would never consider doing anything of the sort. I do need to remind you, however, that absolutely no acts of a sexual nature will be permitted_ _on school property. The breaking of this rule will call for suspension!"___

_Rachel's pulse was quickening rapidly as her head filled with 'what ifs'. The rest of the meeting was rather dull and barely managed to hold her attention; she thought only of how Will was faring and feared what he would say when they were alone next. _

xxx

"So you only... do stuff in private? Where's the fun in that?" Finn asked with a soft chuckle. Rachel blushed at the question, knowing full well how exhilarating it was to do something that was against the rules. "Are you guys gonna, like, tell anyone else?"

"Tell anyone what?" Puck asked, poking his head over Finn's shoulder.

"That you should go back to sleep and mind your own business," Rachel said without actually looking at him.

"Whatever, it's probably something completely lame, anyways. You don't have the guts to have a real secret," Puck retorted.

"No, _Finn,"_ Rachel began, turning to Finn, "I don't think I'll be telling anyone else. Because if Noah ever found out, who knows what he would do."

"He's right th-" Finn interrupted.

"I know," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Puckzilla is intrigued," he said as he pulled his chair closer.

"Rach has a...boyfriend," Finn said, unsure what word to use.

"Finn!"

"What? I didn't say _who._"

"Lame," Puck said, folding his arms behind his head. "Probably some geek from band camp or something."

"Exactly, it _is_ lame," Rachel said. "So let's just forget about it."

"Well since you insist... does he go here?"

"No." "Yes." Rachel and Finn said simultaneously.

"Wow, you guys _suck_ at lying."

"Finn," Rachel said, doing her best to ignore the other member of their conversation, "Don't say anything else."

Puck considered taking a jab at how whipped Finn was, but the serious expression on both their faces (especially Rachel's, which both guys agreed was kind of scary) told him two things: firstly, that joking around probably wasn't a good idea. And secondly, that he _needed _to find out who Rachel's new guy was. After all, if it was anyone normal, she would be wearing a t-shirt with his face plastered on it by now.

xxx

_"Mr. Schuester?" She asked, knocking on the door of his office. She wasn't particularly fond of calling him by his last name, but the halls were busy as students visited their lockers before lunch, and the assembly earlier had sparked a level of paranoia inside her.___

_"Hey Rach," he greeted her as she shut the door.___

_She took a seat in the chair across from his desk, facing him. It was usually occupied by a student with whom he felt "a talk" was necessary, or a parent wanting to know why her son wasn't getting a 90. Rachel fit the part perfectly as she folded her hands and placed them in her lap, looking as though she was about to deliver a speech.___

_"I am just going to come out and ask you, because I don't want this to take longer than it needs to," she began. "I have to know what is going on in your head following that assembly today."___

_"Rachel-"___

_"Wait, do you have any tissues? I want to be prepared, just in case." ___

_Will couldn't help but laugh to himself as Rachel braced herself to cry. He'd been with her long enough to know how she acted in different situations. When Rachel was upset, she tended to return to the controlling girl he'd met over a year ago.___

_"Rach, I've known the consequences all along. Why would this change anything?" Rachel was silent for nearly a minute as she absorbed what he'd just said.___

_"I don't know, I guess I didn't really think about it. I just panicked. We haven't spent much time talking about the future, or the 'what ifs', even after all this time..." In fact, the last time they'd brought the subject up was when Rachel tried and failed to break things off. "I know it's a little awkward and morbid but I feel like it needs to be done."___

_"Rachel, we haven't been very obvious about it." Will was very aware of the fact that he had much more to lose than she did. ___

_"What about the park two weeks ago?" she reminded him. What had started out as an innocent walk turned into holding hands, which turned into third base under a tree. Sure, they hadn't been visible from the road or the main path, but all it took was one person who knew who they were, and that could have been the end of life as he knew it.___

_"You're right. We've been lucky. But what other measures could we take?" ___

_"Well I've been thinking about it for about an hour now. I think it would be acceptable for us to go out in public together. Glee director, captain, not so weird. But nothing that could possibly indicate anything more. Which means no public displays of affection, obviously," she said, "and no real dates." ___

_"Okay."___

_"And no more fooling around in the choir room."___

_"Well, that only happened...twice. But okay," he sighed, begrudgingly. ___

_"Or in here."___

_"I think I get the picture," he joked. ___

_"Sorry." ___

_"It had to be done-"___

_"No, for being so controlling. It's one of my biggest faults," she said.___

_"So maybe you're sort of...high maintenance. But that's what makes you_ you. _And you've changed since I met you. You've matured," he assured her.___

_"Really?" She smiled shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I generally like being in control. But not with you. I don't see a million things that need fixing." _

_He took her hands in his and she drew circles in his palm, smiling at the size difference. ___

_"Is this acceptable?" he asked_.

_"I don't know...maybe we should stop... associating at school, just to get used to the new...rules."_  
_  
__"I hate that we have to sneak around. It isn't fair to you."___

_"Well, if it makes you feel better, I'm really not missing out on anything. It's not as though any boy my age would take me out, either," she said with a smile. "And even if they would, I'd still choose you." _

xxx

Rachel left class that day completely confident that Puck couldn't care less who she was seeing. The rest of her night went by quickly; she didn't stay long at Will's because she had two tests to study for, and she went to bed early. She woke up the next morning to a blue sky, positive that it would be just another, if not slightly above-average school day. She didn't even see Puck coming before he'd managed to whisper in her ear, "Tell _Mr. Schuester _I say 'hi.' Or should I say..."he continued as he walked away, air-humping the next cheerio that walked by him and moaning the name, _"Will!"_

_xxx_

_Let me know what you think, pretty please? Any comment will earn you my undying love :P _


	4. Puck Aftermath

Rachel's mouth went dry as she watched Puck push his way through the crowded hallway.

"Noah," she whimpered, telling herself she'd have to do better than that. She had to stop him before he told anyone. If he hadn't already.

"NOAH!" she cried, as fifteen or so pairs of eyes landed on her. She didn't care. She ran down the hallway after him, angry and frustrated and terrified, unsure what method she would use to convince him to keep her secret or what she would do if he refused. "Noah, _stop_!" She grabbed his arm and he finally turned around.

"What?"

"What do you mean, _what? _Have you told anyone?"

"I guess you're just going to have to wait and find out," he responded with a smirk, yanking his arm out of Rachel's grasp.

"Please, _please_ tell me you haven't told anyone," she cried desperately, still aware that people were watching.

He ignored her and kept walking.

"Okay, fine, keep walking, but I know you can still hear me, so listen. Think about what the consequences will be if this gets out," she began, her voice becoming more like a whisper. "He would get fired. Maybe worse. You would be _ruining his life. _Do you really want that on your conscience?" She was becoming more and more frantic as he still refused to face her. He couldn't be this heartless, he just couldn't. "Noah, after everything he's done for you, for us."

"Whatever, I'm gonna be late for class," he said.

"You are always late for class," she said sadly as he turned into the next classroom on the left. She leaned against the nearest set of lockers to catch her breath and clutched her stomach, which felt like it was doing back flips. This was the first time in three years Rachel would be late, but she didn't care.

She walked slowly to first period, freezing in the doorway when she saw that class had already begun. "Sorry I'm late Ms. Montgomery," she mumbled.

"Take a seat, Ms. Berry." She heard a few people whispering, and someone at the front threw a paper ball at her head, but didn't care to see who it was; her eyes were firmly planted on Finn. He smiled to her as she made her way to the empty desk 2 rows behind him, but his polite 'hey' was met by a quick slap across the face.

"Ow! What the hell!" he cried, rubbing the slap-mark on his cheek. The class was dead silent only momentarily, until the girls began to whisper to each other what they considered likely reasons for her outburst.

Ms. Montgomery placed her chalk down and loudly dusted the chalk off her hands to regain the class's attention. "Rachel, what has come over you? Being late for class and now physical violence? Do you two have something you need to sort out?"

"No, Ms. Montgomery, I have nothing to say to him."

"Yes you do!" Finn argued.

"You know what you did."

"I will not have you two wasting any more class time. Either leave now, or finish this later."

"I agree completely," Rachel said as she took her seat. "We're finished."

"No, we're not!" Finn stood up, angry now. "You can't just like...slap someone and not tell them why!"

"Honestly, Finn! You're not _that _stupid!" Rachel yelled, jumping out of her chair and accidentally knocking it over behind her.

"What does that even mean?"

The teacher intervened with a sudden, "Stop yelling this instant! Rachel Berry, Finn Hudson, principal's office. NOW."

Rachel could feel tears stinging at her eyes as she left the classroom a few steps ahead of Finn. She never got in trouble. Ever. This was turning into the worst day of her life. She turned around to face Finn, (not planning to slap him again but wishing she could), when she realized Ms. Montgomery was following them.

"Keep walking, Rachel," she ordered.

"May I use the restroom quickly?" she asked, holding back her tears.

"I suppose," her teacher responded reluctantly. Once inside, Rachel pulled her phone out of her back pocket, praying Will would, by some miracle, answer it during class. She dialed his number and waited. One ring. Two. Three. Voicemail. She settled for a text message: **Get to Figgins' office ASAP.**

When they arrived at his office, Ms. Montgomery knocked on his door, told him she had two students who were "disrupting the class and need to work things out," and disappeared before Figgins could get a word in. He merely stared at the two students in his office for minutes, and as Rachel guessed, was wishing Ms. Montgomery had delivered them to Ms. Pillsbury instead.

"So...what is the problem here?" he asked as they sat facing him. Rachel crossed her arms stubbornly as Finn unsuccessfully looked to her for some guidance. "Are you two having...romantic problems?"

"No, sir," Finn answered. "We aren't dating." Rachel rolled her eyes at the two awkward men in the room with her, one a pathetic excuse for a friend, and the other a pathetic excuse for a principal.

"Principal Figgins," she began, "Please understand that while we have the highest respect for you, our problem is extremely personal and not something we wish to discuss...with you." Their principal nodded his head to signify that he understood, but remained silent as he didn't know what to do next.

"Maybe, if we could have some privacy...?" Rachel suggested, before Finn could spill his mouth to someone _else_.

"Of course, I was just about to run some errands," he said on his way out.

"Rach, why-"

"Shh," she hissed, holding her finger to his lips. "Don't say anything you wouldn't say in front of him. You never know who's listening."

"Okay...?"

"How could you? You promised you wouldn't tell anyone."

"Wait...How did you find out I told?" He asked confusedly.

"Puck made it very obvious he knew this morning."

"Puck? I didn't tell Puck, I swear."

Just then, the door to Figgins' office swung open, revealing a worried Will. His eyes met Rachel's and silently asked what was going on.

"Puck knows," she said.

Will looked around, annoyed by the fact that so many rooms in the school had glass walls. "Let's move this to my office."

xxx

_"What do you think people would say if they knew about us?"_

_Rachel's eyes shifted from the clouds above her backyard to the godly man lying next to her as she contemplated his question. "People like who?" she asked. She still blushed when he used words like 'love' or even 'us'. It was so surreal. _

_"Anyone. Everyone." _

_"Well no matter who it is, they'd be surprised. I still am," she confessed. She cuddled up to him, her fingers still intertwined with his as he kissed them. "I know Finn would keep any secret I could possibly tell him. Hmm...Kurt?" _

_"He'd probably just try to suppress the mental image," he chuckled._

_"Right after he runs off and tells Mercedes. Who would tell Quinn. Who would tell -"_

_"Okay!" he interrupted with a nervous laugh. "Let's make sure no one associated with either of them _ever_ finds out! What about the other two cheerios?" _

_"Santana and Brittany would probably tell everyone they knew. Same with Noah," she said with certainty. __  
_  
_"I don't know, Rach, he's really matured since Beth was born. Don't be too quick to judge him." _

_"I guess we won't know until it happens," she said mischievously, leaning in for a passionate kiss. He wasn't sure whether poking fun at something so serious was good or bad, but the thought left his mind as quickly as it had entered, as he smoothly undid Rachel's bra._

xxx

"Okay, what do you mean Puck knows?" Will sat on the edge of his desk and Finn joined him, but Rachel was anxiously pacing the room.

"Finn told him," Rachel replied.

"No, I didn't! God, what is it with you two and messing up my face? Same cheek too!"

"You are the only one who knows, _Finn_!"

"Well it wasn't me. And you never told me how you even found out Puck knows."

She told them what she could, trying to remember what he'd said word for word. "What are we going to do?"

"Rachel." Will stood up and grabbed her hand to stop her from panicking. His heart was racing and she definitely wasn't helping, but he knew that if he showed weakness, Rachel would break down completely. She reflexively snapped her hand away from his, but he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him as she struggled to get away. "Shh," he whispered, caressing her hair, and she let herself go limp in his arms. "Let me take care of this," he pleaded. "You can do whatever makes you feel comfortable. Go home, go back to class, stay here. I'll deal with Puck."

"Just...give me a minute," she said as she snuggled into his warm chest. "Your heart is beating really fast."

"Well no duh," Finn said, reminding them both that he was still there.

"Thank you, Finn. You can go back to class now."

"Kay, good, it was getting kind of awkward in here."

"Are you scared?" Rachel asked the second Finn was gone.

"No," he lied. "Everything will be okay. I have faith in Puck."

"That almost makes me feel better." He kissed her forehead quickly before leaving her.

xxx

Rachel awoke abruptly to the sound of knocking. Her heart rate increased the second she realized she was in Will's office, and again when she remembered why. She looked at the clock. 11:06. She ran to the door, smoothing her hair and checking her reflection on the way.

"Noah."

"Is Mr. Schue here?"

"No, he went looking for you," she said awkwardly.

"Okay, well…will you tell him that I decided to, you know, keep it to myself?"

"Oh my gosh!" she screamed, practically tackling him as she threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"I'm not doing it for you," he said, pushing her away. "Mr. Schue's cool, and I don't want to fuck up his life. God, I feel like such a failure bad-ass."

"I won't tell anyone. I knew you had a heart," she said with an enormous grin.

"Shut up before I change my mind. I don't know how he puts up with you," he said, unable to keep himself from smiling this time. "I honestly didn't think you had it in you, Rach. I mean, _a teacher_? That's hardcore."

"You must be rubbing off on me." Rachel knew she was still smiling like a goof, but she couldn't help herself. A huge weight had just been lifted off her shoulders. She was surprised to find that what she felt at that moment almost topped how she felt after a flawless performance.

"You realize I'm never gonna let this go?"

"I figured as much. Oh well, I think it's a fair compromise for your silence." She was honestly surprised that he hadn't made any dirty jokes or asked any inappropriate questions yet.

Mr. Schuester walked into the office then, saying "Rach, honey, I can't find-" and pausing the second he saw Puck. He flashed Rachel a cautious glance but could see that she wasn't crying which he took as a good sign. He then drew his attention to Puck, who was grinning like a moron.

"Way to go, Mr. Schue," he smirked, raising one eyebrow on his way out of the room.

"Noah, wait!" Rachel called after him. "How did you know?"

"Well I was pretty fucking-"

"Language," Will warned, while Rachel and Puck rolled their eyes.

"Sorry, I was pretty _freaking _curious after I heard you and Finn talking during class. I didn't really know what I was gonna do about it, but I saw you drive by me on your way home so I followed you. I'm sure you can fill in the rest."

"You're such a creep!"

"Hey, if you didn't want me to know you never should have brought it up. It's your own damn fault."

"I blame Finn," she half-joked.

Rachel closed the door behind Puck as he left and wrapped her arms around Will's waist. "I am so, so glad that's over. Will you write me a note so I don't get in trouble for missing…" she glanced at the clock, "three classes?"

"Of course," he promised, kissing her softly on the lips.

"You were right to have faith in him. He's really just a big softie."

"Bigger than Finn?"

"Oh my gosh! Finn! I have to apologize for slapping him!" Will chuckled as he remembered the hand print on Finn's cheek earlier. "And for doubting him," she continued. "I've been such a terrible friend to him, when he is the only one in this whole school who has truly accepted me!" Rachel's mind went back to her conversation with Finn earlier, pinpointing exact moments that called for an apology. Slapping him. Embarrassing him in front of the class (which was almost certainly the precursor of numerous rumors she'd have to deal with later). Calling him stupid. But most importantly, assuming it was his fault.

xxx

_"You know what you did…_

"_Honestly, Finn. You're not __that __stupid…_

"_How could you? You promised you wouldn't tell anyone."_

_xxx_

Rachel nodded her head in shame.

xxx

_"Wait...How did you find out I told?" He asked confusedly. _  
_  
__"Puck made it very obvious he knew this morning."_

_"Puck? I didn't tell Puck, I swear."_

_xxx_

"Wait a minute," she said to herself.

"What?" Will asked.

_"How did you find out I told?"_

"What are you talking about?" he asked again, deeply confused by this point.

"That's what Finn said to me earlier, before he realized I was talking about Puck. '_How did you find out I told?_'"

"Wait, does that mean..."

"Finn told someone."

xxx

**Don't hate me! **

**1. I'm sorry this took forever!**

**2. I'm sorry I ended it this way. It wasn't my intention, but the story is called "One by One" after all. And secrets always get out :3**

**3. I'm sorry I suck. **

**Otherwise I hope you guys are still enjoying the story, thank you SO MUCH for all your nice reviews, and to everyone who subscribed to my story. I jump for joy inside every single time I get an email from FF. Please keep reviewing! :) **


	5. Carole

**Note from the Author:**

**This would have been up yesterday but I needed to stay away from it for a day, and come back feeling fresh to edit, if you know what I mean. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing and subscribing. It's good to know that I am not alone in my Will/Rachel fetish :D**

xxx

"Finn assured me that it was just his mom," Rachel told Will cautiously as they exited the school together. "And apparently she promised she wouldn't tell anyone, so we don't have to worry."

"As relieving as that is to hear," he sighed, scratching the back of his head, "I can't help but feel that this situation is getting out of control, Rachel."

"You say that as though it's my fault," she said defensively.

"I didn't mean it like that, it's just..."

"What?"

"Well, I've got a hell of a lot more to lose than you do."

"Do you honestly think that thought isn't constantly running through my mind? Reaffirming my knowledge that I am an unbelievably selfish person?"

"Rach, you're not...I didn't say that."

"Why don't you just throw in the fact that I'm too bossy and over-emotional. And that my nose is too big."

"Come on, Rachel," he pleaded. "You're gorgeous." Despite her anger, he wished he could cup her cheeks in his hands and place a soft kiss on the part of her face which she despised the most. But after being together for almost 10 months now, he'd grown accustomed to restraining in public.

Rachel chose to ignore the last comment; no matter how much confidence she had in her many talents, she'd always found it hard to believe she was beautiful. "But I _am _bossy and emotional, right?"

"Rachel..."

"Tell the truth," she demanded, though solemnly.

"It's been a rough day, and you have a hard time controlling yourself when you are frustrated. It's completely understandable." Rachel stopped in her tracks and took a seat on the curb.

"Why do I always do this?" she asked herself, not even caring that she was beginning to cry for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "I push everyone away. I find a way to ruin every single relationship I've ever been in." She rested her head in her hands as she tried to recompose herself. Will took a seat beside her, leaving two feet of space between them.

"Rachel, I'm not going anywhere. Besides, the damage is done, why would I leave now when-"

"Damage?" She interrupted, wiping the fresh tears from below her eyes. "I have to go." He watched in silence as she leapt to her feet, smoothed the back of her skirt, and bolted to her little white car.

He wanted to convince Rachel that he wasn't giving up on her, but he didn't see how that was possible unless she finally gained some confidence. For now, he was hoping she just needed some time to cool down. He sighed and retreated to his car, hardly surprised when he had a difficult time starting it. He let his heavy head rest on the steering wheel, the only good thing about the day being that it was Friday. He didn't remember until he'd reached home that he had no food in the house. He hated grocery shopping as it was, but in such a small town he almost always saw someone he knew at the supermarket; often, it was a parent of one of his students wanting to know how their kid was doing, or otherwise someone he really would rather not see. And quite frankly, after the day he'd just had, he really didn't feel like faking a smile or attempting to carry out a half-hour conversation when he'd rather be at home with a beer.

"_In and out in ten minutes_," he told himself as he parked. He was about to step out of his car and into the parking lot when he noticed Sandy Ryerson walking his way and prayed he hadn't been spotted as he ducked back into the car and waited until the way was clear.

"Been doing a lot of sneaking around lately, haven't you?" The voice was vaguely familiar and belonged to a woman. At the trunk of the car beside his stood Carole Hudson. He stared at her, mouth agape while one thought ran through his mind: _what are the chances?_

"Remember me? I'm-"

"Mrs. Hudson, yes," he said as he exited his car and reached out his hand. "As awkward as this is, I, um, have to thank you for promising to keep our secret."

"It's not mine to tell, Mr. Schuester." She stated cautiously. "Finn really looks up to you. I used to understand why. Now, I'm not so sure."

"I guess I deserved that," he said awkwardly. "Although, if I may ask, what exactly did Finn tell you?"

"Just that you're _sleeping_ with Rachel Berry. He used to talk about her all the time. He was really broken up about it."

"Look...I can see why you may have lost faith in me as an educator, but I promise you I'm not the type to 'sleep around' with my students." Though he rarely saw it necessary to spill his guts to a near stranger, he did feel the need to explain himself to this woman. She was obviously very kind; she did raise Finn, after all. They'd met before at parent-teacher interviews and various school functions, and she even proved to be quite accepting when she allowed Quinn to move in with her. (Rachel talked a lot about Finn's life). But the thought had crossed his mind many times that maybe what he was doing with Rachel was, in fact_, __wrong; _he was hardly surprised that the first adult to discover them wasn't exactly on-board with the idea.

"You don't owe me an explanation," she said.

"I know, but I want to give you one nonetheless. I feel awful, really. That I stole her away from Finn. He is an amazing kid, by the way."

"Thank you."

"It's the truth," he continued with a careful, but genuine smile. "I realize that my relationship with Rachel isn't exactly conventional. You know the consequences as well as I do. But my feelings for her outweigh everything else."

Carole shut her trunk as she finished loading her groceries.

"I was surprised myself. I tried to fight it. But when you know, you know." Carole was silent for a short while, as Will wondered if she'd ever had feelings for someone she wasn't supposed to. He might have asked if he wasn't terrified of angering her.

"Well in that case," she said, finally, "I suppose I'm glad I chose not to tell anyone. And since I'm assuming this is what you want to hear, I still think you're a good man."

"I'm so glad to hear that," he said cheerfully. "It was nice seeing you. Tell Finn I said hi." Despite the fact that Will had been hoping not to run into anyone, he was really glad he did.

xxx

Will cooked himself dinner when he got home. Though he'd made plans with Rachel, she never showed up as he expected. He was surprised, though, that she still hadn't called by 8; Rachel was anything but silent. If he knew her, and he did, he knew she must have been replaying the events of the day over and over again in her mind. Maybe even out loud. But he also knew that if he called her before she was ready, she would ignore it.

Then, as though she'd been reading his mind, his phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Will? Can you come over?"

"What about-"

"They went out. Told me not to wait up."

"Sure, Rach. I'll be there in 5."

He parked on the road a few houses away just to be safe. Though he'd only been there a total of three times, he loved being at Rachel's house. The front porch was decorated with charming wicker furniture, hanging flowerpots containing pink and white flowers and a matching welcome mat, no doubt Rachel's design. The main floor was very open, with arched doorways but no doors separating the rooms. Everything about the place was so welcoming, even Rachel's extremely girly room which, though at first reminded him of the age difference between them, also reminded him of_ her_. Her backyard, where they had spent an afternoon looking up at the clouds as per Rachel's request _(__"You know how people in TV shows always look up at the clouds, trying to make shapes out of them? I've never done that._..") was very large, and in certain areas, very secluded.

"Hi," she said shyly upon answering the door.

"Hi," he echoed. "I'm sorry about earlier."

"Don't be," she requested, holding one finger up to silence him. "I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. It's just hard to believe anything will last, when nothing ever has." She took a long pause, glancing out the window at nothing in particular. "I feel sort of...exposed down here. Do you want to come upstairs?"

"Sure."

She led him up the main stairway toward her bedroom, but he just had to stop along the way to look at pictures of her growing up along the wall. She waited for him at the top, smiling when he smiled and laughing when he laughed, embarrassed but fully aware that she'd been a really cute kid.

"Come on," she said happily when he was finished, extending her hand for him to take.

"I'm sorry," she said again as they entered her room.

"You have nothing to be sorry about. Except maybe," he joked, "doubting yet again how I feel about you. You're amazing; I just need to work on convincing _you_ of that."

"I don't know why-" she started, but he silenced her with a passionate kiss as he kicked her bedroom door closed behind him. "You're amazing, Rachel. Believe me." The kiss immediately became more urgent, as though they hadn't seen each other in weeks. In fact, it felt that way; ever since the teacher at Lima Central Catholic had been caught, their relationship had sadly become less physical.

Rachel threw off her sweater and took control, biting Will's bottom lip, then soothing it with her tongue and immediately being granted entry.

"Are you sure," he groaned, "your dads won't be home soon?"

"Yes! Will, _yesss_, just kiss me." Her fingers ran desperately through his thick curls quickly before placing her hands on his hard chest and forcing him up against the door.

"Oh my _god_," he moaned as she pressed her body against his and playfully unzipped his jeans for him. He wasn't used to Rachel being quite so forceful (not during sex, anyways) and was thrown off guard at first.

"Take your shirt off," she ordered, and he complied. She ran her fragile fingers over his immaculate abs (which she now liked to think of as _hers_) and let out a moan herself. "_I need you. To touch me._"

He tore off her shirt and smoothly switched positions, grabbing her wrists and holding them high above her head as he kissed her fiercely. He sucked and nibbled on her neck, his mouth slowly making its way towards her breasts (which, as it so happened, he liked to think of as _his)_. The second he freed her hands, she removed and allowed her matching bra and panties drop to the floor.

He continued to tease her, but she was urgent, more so than usual. She undid the button on his jeans and pulled them down further, a not-so-subtle hint that she didn't want to wait any longer. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He caressed her thighs with his fingertips, starting on the inside then working his way towards her ass where he pulled her closer to him.

She sighed in relief as he entered her from underneath her skirt. With one hand she grabbed the coat hook on the back of her door, while the nails of her other hand dug into his back. She gasped at the fairly new sensation caused by their position; she became temporarily unaware of her surroundings as she squeezed her eyes shut and threw her head back, but she found herself wanting more. She practically sang the word into his ear: "More, please Will, _more_.." He raised his eyebrows mischievously as he ventured to go deeper than their 'norm'.

"Ow, oh my...fuck, yes!" she cried joyfully as her back arched towards him and she let go.

"You can't say 'fuck', you've never heard _me_ say it." This position was proving to be particularly tiring, though he couldn't resist a smug grin as he observed her reaction. Finally, Rachel felt his body tighten, then tremble, and finally release as he placed her on her desk and rested against the wall. "Isn't that the rule?" He asked with great difficulty.

"You just said it," she panted, kissing him tenderly. "Now shut. _The fuck_," she whispered, "up." Her chest was heaving as she joked with him. "Last time, I swear," she promised, placing her hand over her racing heart and flashing him an angelic smile.

"You're amazing," he said one last time.

"No," she panted. "We're amazing." He laughed, placing a soft kiss on her lips. It would have to do.

xxx

**Yay new chapter! Hope you guys liked it C: **

**Review? **


	6. Sam

**Note from the author:**

**I am insanely sorry it took me two weeks to write this chapter. I can't really give you any excuses other than a silly little thing called **_**writer's motherfucking block.**_** Sorry about my potty mouth. Every time I sat down to continue writing, I'd get a headache and tell myself I'd do it later. Then, when I actually felt like writing, I would have ZERO ideas. Ughh. I've also been really busy and broke my toe, not that it matters. Oh, and I'm officially addicted to tumblr. Maybe you could add me if you've got one (and are interested in wedding dresses, LOL)? 'Tis called heckheadweddingdresses. **

**Anyways, I kind of like this chapter, even though it ends rather suddenly. Sorry about that. I do think I'll have the next one up by Sunday though :) Thanks for everyone who's stuck with me throughout this whole mess of a fic. My first multi-chap, in case I didn't mention that. Love you all! **

xxx

Rachel awoke feeling a little disoriented. It was dark, but she was relieved to discover that she was, in fact, in her own room; she immediately recognized the cute little chandelier she'd had since moving in, hanging above her bed.

Her first instinct was to think back to the last thing she could remember. "Will," she sighed happily. It wasn't until he responded with a nearly inaudible "Mmm?" that she even realized he had been asleep beside her. Her head shot up as she glanced at the clock on her bedside table.

"Will, wake up. It's after midnight!" He yawned and rubbed his eyes groggily. She couldn't even remember how either of them had ended up in the bed. "Listen to me," she begged, patting his cheek. "It is 12:17, and you are _in my room_."

He shot up nearly as quickly as she had.

"Wait here while I check to see if my dads are home," she ordered. She pulled on a soft pink robe and tiptoed down the hall to her parents' room, which she found to be empty. She then made her way down the stairs, drawing back the curtain of her living room window. She saw only one car, meaning they were still out. Breathing a sigh of relief, she darted back upstairs.

"The coast is clear," she whispered upon re-entering her room.

"Then why are we whispering?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know, I'm still a little scared," she laughed.

"Can you imagine.."

"Shh," she ordered, putting a finger to his lips. "We got lucky," she continued, picking his clothes up off the floor. "Now, _you_ need to go."

"Ouch." He placed a quick kiss to her forehead after she'd handed him a bundle of his clothing. "You know, I don't think they've ever been later than midnight before. What are the chances?"

She followed him down the stairs towards the front door as he replied by saying, "it's a sign," though apparently a moment too soon; through the curtains they could see the headlights of a car pulling into Rachel's driveway. Both froze on the spot, waiting for the other to make a move.

"Out the back door!" Rachel pushed him down the hall in the direction of her backyard.

"But my shoes-"

"I'll get them, just go!"

Will was practically out the door as Rachel bent over to pick up his shoes, already able to hear the key turning in the lock. She darted towards the house's rear exit which Will had left open behind him, but knew it was too late when she heard a voice from coming the front foyer.

"Rachel, sweetie, we're home! Oh...why are you going outside?"

"Oh, dad, daddy, welcome back!" she squealed, hiding the shoes behind her back. "I was just, um..."

"What are you holding?"

"Oh, these?" she asked, bringing the shoes into sight. "They're Finn's! He was here...studying earlier."

"And he left shoeless?" Her taller father, Jospeh, had an amused expression on his face. The other, however, was eying her suspiciously. She knew she'd have to think more quickly on her feet in order to convince him.

"No, no. He left for a late football practice wearing his...football shoes."

"Cleats," Joseph said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, that's what he called them. I was waiting for you two to get back, and thought they kind of _smelled_..." she lied, scrunching up her nose. "So I was going to just put them outside." She knew she was talking too fast, but silently hoped they wouldn't think anything of it. She _was _Rachel Berry, after all, and was proud of her lie. She placed the shoes on the patio, relieved her fathers didn't follow her outside but worried when she didn't see Will.

"_Will_?" she whispered, though she knew she'd spoken too quietly for him to hear.

She retreated to the house in fear of being caught, though caught doing _what _she couldn't be sure. "I'm going to go to sleep now, goodnight!" she said cheerfully upon re-entering the house. She kissed both fathers quickly on the cheek, and ran back upstairs, nearly slamming her bedroom door behind her.

Needless to say, she lost sleep that night. Lying in bed, she thought only of Will and how she expected her fathers to react, if and when they found out. Otherwise, she prayed her neighbors wouldn't remark to her fathers in the morning about a shirtless man, lurking outside their home.

xxx

"Good morning!"

"Morning, Sweetheart," Samuel greeted Rachel as she entered the kitchen. "Any plans today?"

"No," she answered, placing a piece of toast in the toaster. "Wait...yes, actually, I do. But not until later. Noah Puckerman is having a party at his house and for some reason he actually invited me. I meant to ask you last night but I...I forgot."

"Is this you asking me now?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I figured it would be okay because I've never given you a reason not to trust me." She hated lying to her father; there were reasons he shouldn't trust her, just none he knew about. She really did plan on going to the party, though. It wasn't often she was asked to go anywhere by anyone. "But I suppose this is me asking you. Can I go?"

"Of course, sweetheart. Under one condition."

She resisted the urge to gulp nervously. He usually wasn't this uptight. In fact, both her fathers tended to be extremely playful.

"What is it?"

"I drive you," he stated plainly.

"Oh," was all she said.

"Is that a problem?"

"No, of course not, Daddy. I was going to ask for a ride anyways. I bet that if I were to bring my own car it would get egged or something."

"Okay, Rach. Just let me know when you're ready to leave. I'll pick you up afterward as well."

"It might be a little late," she warned him, honestly not sure what to expect. She wasn't a regular party-goer.

"That's fine. I'll be up late tonight, getting things together for_ Fiddler_. Auditions start in three days. There's just so much to do."

He was acting weird. She didn't even know how to explain it; he just wasn't himself. He didn't have that sparkle in his eye when he talked about the musical he was directing. He was the one who had inspired her to pursue a musical career in the first place.

She flinched when her toast popped up, laughing it off nervously as she placed her hand over her heart.

"Daddy?" she asked.

"Hm?"

"Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not."

"Okay. I'm going to go upstairs now."

She felt him watching her as she left the kitchen.

"Rachel, wait."

She shut her eyes, fearing what he'd say next.

"Yes?" she asked, her back still facing him.

"Your toast."

"Oh, right," she sighed, turning around. She spread the jam in one quick swipe and rushed out of the room.

xxx

When she got back to her room, Rachel decided to call Will. She still wasn't really sure what had happened to him last night and wanted to be sure everything was okay. She dialed the number, barely even looking at the phone. He was practically the only person she called and had long ago memorized his number. He answered with a cautious, "hello?" after a couple rings.

"Hi, Will. It's me. How did everything go last night?"

"Good morning," he said with a smile - one she was able to detect, even over the phone. "I came back to get my shoes but before I could grab them, Sam came out. I almost had a heart attack."

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, I don't know what he was looking for, but he checked every inch of your backyard."

"He was acting weird this morning too," she said. "Do you think he suspects something?"

"Maybe. But there's no way he could actually _know, _we've been so careful."

It was true. They'd gone to great measures to ensure Rachel's dads never found out. Rachel's number was stored in Will's phone under the name 'Amanda," and his was stored in hers as 'Patrick', just in case anyone decided to be nosy. They didn't have any pictures together, they didn't email, and he'd only really ever met them twice at parent-teacher interviews, both before he'd even started seeing Rachel. He _rarely _visited her house. Why he had the previous night, neither of the two could remember.

"So...my shoes are still at your place."

Rachel giggled quickly. "You left barefoot _and_ shirtless at 12:30am? It's a wonder no one called the cops."

"Yeah, and of course I had to walk a block to get to my car," he said, though happily.

"I'd apologize," she started, "but last night was kind of fun. Exhilarating."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. You need to find out if your dad knows something," he reminded her, re-establishing the serious tone that seemed to dominate most of their conversations lately.

"How?"

"I don't know. Just try to get him to bring it up without confessing anything. It's going to drive you crazy if you don't."

"You know me too well," she sighed.

"I love you."

"You too," she whispered before hanging up and falling backwards onto her bed. She needed a plan.

xxx

On the way to Noah's house, Rachel figured it was the perfect opportunity to commence phase one. She figured she'd try the 'pretend-you're-talking-about-a-friend-while-actually-talking-about-yourself' method to test her father. It always seemed to work in the movies.

"Guess what Finn told me today on the phone?" she asked, seconds after entering the car, not bothering to wait for his answer. "Apparently one of the Cheerios is dating a guy who's like fifteen years older than her."

"Really?"

"Yes. I don't really know what to think about it. What do you think?"

"Why do you ask sweetie?"

"I don't know, I just genuinely want to know your opinion on the matter." At least that part was true.

"Well, in order to tell you that I'd have to know more about the situation."

"Like what?" she hated that he was dragging the conversation on so long. Puck's house was only ten minutes away and she didn't want to have this bothering her the whole night.

"Well, where did she meet him?"

"I think he's her..." Rachel paused as she tried to think of an occupation similar to a teacher. "Her volleyball coach."

"And she's how old?"

"Seventeen," Rachel blurted, thinking of her own age.

"Hm. Well, if they really wanted to be together, they should have waited until she's legal."

"But what if they love each other?"

"How could they possibly know each other well enough to love each other? Besides, any mature adult shouldn't allow himself to get close to his student in that way."

"How long did you know dad before you knew you loved him?" she asked in return. "You know, I thought you would understand. I thought you'd get what it's like to want someone everybody is telling you, you shouldn't want."

"Rachel Berry, this is not a matter of love, this is a matter of what is legal and what is the smart thing to do!" He was shouting now. "And believe me, this town is not friendly toward people who live differently than they do. Do you realize what would happen to him, to BOTH of you, if you were discovered?"

Rachel swore she felt her heart stop.

"You mean they," she choked.

He stopped in front of Noah's house and silently nodded his head.

"You mean _they,_" she repeated.

"No," he said quietly. "I mean you. And Mr. Schuester."

"What are you-"

"I've known since yesterday."

"Have you told da-"

"No," he interrupted, again. "But _you_ will."

"How did you..." she asked, trailing off.

"We'll talk about it when you get home."

"You can't just leave me here like this. I have to know!"

"Rachel, don't worry. I love you, and I trust you, and I'm not angry with you. I'm just a little surprised. It's like... realizing your baby girl is actually a woman. A woman who has made some silly decisions."

_Oh shit, _she thought, _he knows I'm not a virgin_.

"Sweet-pea, go enjoy the party. I promise you, everything is okay between us."

He kissed her lightly on the forehead before she stepped out of the car and lifelessly watched him drive away.

xxx


	7. Quinn

**Hello again everyone, don't hate me. Ever since glee started up again, I've lost all will to write. Rachel was just SUCH A BITCH in the first three episodes, she went from being my favourite character to like tenth on the list. Anyways, after the fourth episode, I fell back in love with her again. So here you go, if anyone is still interested. I really am sorry this took me forever :(**

xxx

"Hey, gold digger. Lookin' good."

"Noah, that doesn't even make sense."

"You date an older guy, you're a gold digger."

Rachel glanced around, unable to see anyone but Puck. "Where is everyone?"

"Well, whoever's here is out back by the pool, but I mean, it's still pretty early. Though I'm surprised you weren't like, the first one here."

"I need a drink," she said, ignoring his comment, shoving him aside so she could make her way to the kitchen. She grabbed herself a corona - it was the first thing she saw containing alcohol - off the counter and chugged half of it. "That tastes _awful_," she spat after wiping her mouth.

"Dude, you okay?"

She looked intently at Puck before chugging the rest of the bottle and figured it wouldn't hurt to tell him.

"My father found out about me and you-know-who."

"Bummer. Here," he said, handing her another beer. "There's plenty more where that came from."

"I don't want to get drunk," she told him, but took it anyways. "Okay, I do. That's honestly the only reason I even decided to stay. It's either ...well, forget my troubles for one night or go home and face my dad."

She was glad he was actually talking the time to listen to her. He could be really sweet when it was just the two of them. "But... no, what am I thinking? This is _definitely_ not a good idea. Don't let me get drunk, okay?"

"Rach, I'm not gonna babysit you. Why don't you go ask someone who doesn't plan on getting laid tonight?"

_There_ was the good old Puckzilla she knew and loved.

xxx

It was almost 11, and even though a surprisingly sober Finn had been more than happy to spend time with her, Rachel didn't want to follow him around all night like a lost puppy. She'd felt like a ghost for a good portion of the evening, wandering in and out of rooms - though it seemed to be, more often than not, that the room she was wandering into happened to be the kitchen. Rachel lost count of how many drinks she'd had, but couldn't seem to stop. For a while, she figured she wasn't drunk, because she still seemed to be thinking logically. But after a while, she started to do things whether she wanted to or not, (such as dancing, very poorly, and hugging everyone who had ever been nice to her) thus deciding she wasn't exactly fond of alcohol.

This revelation was further confirmed when she found herself leaning over the toilet.

"Oh my god, Rachel." She barely heard the sarcastic female voice behind her over the volume of the music, but was happy when her hair was scooped away from her face, allowing her to throw up again, relatively worry-free.

"Rach, do you want me to drive you home?" Finally, she turned around to view her savior.

"Quinn?"

"Yeah, it's me. Let me take you home."

"No, no, no, no, noooooooo," she slurred. "My daddy would KILL me..." she shouted, holding up a fist for a reason she couldn't care to understand.

"He'll forgive you. Come on, let's go."

"No, no, he won't. I'm not supposed to-" she turned around, leaning over the toilet once more, though only as a precaution. "Quinn, you're really pretty. I wish I looked like you." She looked up with an enormous grin on her face.

"Thanks?"

This caused Rachel to giggle uncontrollably, but she stopped as suddenly as she'd started. "Oh! Can you take me to Will's house?" She asked, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"Will? As in, Mr. Schuester?"

"Yeah. He'll take care of me."

"Rach, I don't think that's a good idea." Quinn was rubbing circles on the smaller girl's back, positive she was wasted beyond belief if she thought a sleepover at Schue's house was a good idea.

"But I love him."

"Still? I thought that little phase ended like, forever ago."

"I want Will! Please Quinn?" she begged, leaning her head against Quinn's leg. "He will be happy you helped me get home safe."

"Then let me take you home. You know, _home? _To yourhouse? Where _you _live?"

"I can't go home! I'm going to call my daddy and tell him I'm sleeping over at Will's tonight. Where's my phone, Quinn?"

"How should I know? And gross, you're not sleeping at Mr. Schue's house. God, you are even more annoying when you're drunk."

"Will doesn't think I'm annoying. He thinks I'm _sexy_." Rachel bit her lip provocatively on the last word, as if to prove a point.

"Ew. I highly doubt that. Come on, I can't help you if you don't let me."

"He does! He tells me all the time! Especially when we're having s-"

"RACHEL!" Quinn interrupted, "I do not want to hear about your perverted fantasies!" She yanked Rachel off the floor by her arm, and then led her outside to the backseat of her car.

"Quinn, why are you being so nice to me?"

"Bad things happen to girls when they get drunk, _trust me_."

"Will would never let anything bad happen to me."

"God, Rachel, are you obsessed with him or something?"

"No, I'm in love with him. I am. I love him. I just want to see him, please? I want Will," she sniffed.

"You are so messed up. Where do you live?" When her question was met with silence, she glanced back to find Rachel asleep in the backseat of her car. Rolling her eyes, she quickly ran back inside to ask around for anyone who knew Rachel's address. Luckily, Finn had been there enough times to give her directions, and it also turned out he'd been in possession of Rachel's bag. Quinn returned to find her patient asleep in the same position, drooling all over her backseat.

xxx

"Rach, wake up."

Rachel awoke to the sight of Quinn`s face. "Where am I?"

"Rach, I just talked to you like ten minutes ago. I brought you home."

"Aw, thanks Quinn, that's so nice!" Rachel threw her arms awkwardly around the other girl's neck, as best she possibly could in the back seat of a car. "Where's my phone?"

"You don't need it, c'mon. I'll open the door for you, but try to be quiet okay?"

"Okay," she replied, placing a finger over her lips, which were turned upwards in a lopsided smile. Quinn couldn't help but laugh at this, which made Rachel laugh, too, (though she seemed to be laughing at everything.)

Quinn took her hand. "Just, be quiet okay? I don't want you to get in trouble or anything."

"Thank you so much Quinn! Seriously, thank you so much!"

"Okay, okay. Just go, Berry."

xxx

When Rachel awoke the next morning, she didn't know what happened the previous night, or how she'd returned home safely. All she knew was that she absolutely did _not _feel good. That, and there was a nagging feeling in her stomach, like she was forgetting something extremely important.

"Think, Rachel," she whispered, looking in the mirror. Her stomach lurched out of nervousness for the millionth time that morning, causing her to sigh with frustration. "Come on, what happened yesterday?"

Puck's party. Alcohol was almost certainly the cause of her amnesia.

"Rachel, you up?" Sam asked while opening the door to her room. Her heart began pounding in her chest when she saw him, and finally, memories of pre-party yesterday flooded her mind. She was unable to believe she could ever forget what was quite possibly the worst thing to ever happen to her. Sudden realization overcame her, and she could do nothing but brace herself for what was going to happen next.

"Daddy, hi. Did you want to talk? About..." she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"Yeah, come on," he said, motioning her to join him on the bed. "You don't have to explain yourself. I really would rather not hear the details," he confessed, and Rachel couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself.

"How did you find out?" she asked.

"Sandy Ryerson."

"Does the whole _world_ know?"

"He overheard Finn's mother and, um, Mr. _Schuester_," he said uncomfortably, "talking about it on Friday. I think he said he was a "skillful eavesdropper" or something." Rachel's father shook his head at the memory, clearly in disapproval of this man. "So, he paid me a visit."

"And?"

"And threatened to tell unless I put him in our upcoming production of _Fiddler on the Roof_."

Rachel was silent for minutes as she took everything in. "This... this is my fault," she said, suddenly. "This is entirely my fault. Daddy, I'm so, so sorry. I can't believe-" she trailed off as tears started to form in her eyes. "I ruined everything!" she sobbed. Her father wrapped an arm around her.

"Rachel, just... what were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry. I just... I really do love him. That seemed like enough at the time. And now everything is falling apart, and your show is ruined, and so many people know, I'm scared Daddy...I just don't know what I'm going to do," she cried through sobs. "I'm such an idiot!"

"Rachel, don't worry about the play."

"You say that because I'm your daughter. That production means _everything_ to you."

"No, sweetheart, _you_ mean everything to me. I was angry, and I'm still shocked," he gulped. So did Rachel. "But you said something to me yesterday that forced me to put things into perspective. I _do_ know what it's like to want someone everybody is telling you not to. Granted, in my case, it was legal... But I understand. And we raised you right, so if you were willing to put everything at risk like that, you must really love him."

"I do. I don't know what else to say."

"I'm not going to tell you to end it, because even if you did it wouldn't matter. The damage is done. But no one else can ever find out."

"I know. Thank you, for protecting him." She rested her head on his shoulder and wiped the fresh tears away from her cheeks. The room was silent for a while, and she didn't like it.

"I'm sorry," she said, breaking the silence.

"I know."

"No, I'm sorry that I'm not who you thought I was. That I'm not your little girl anymore."

"You'll always be my little girl," he said, carefully kissing the top of her head.

"I don't deserve you as a father," she sniffed.

"Don't say that," he said, standing up. "I love you, Rachel."

"Love you too, daddy. Always."


End file.
